Method of and apparatus for filling flowable material into open top containers

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for charging accurate amount of liquid or powder into open top containers moving continuously in a straight line comprising an elongated supply vessel means for maintaining a constant level of filling material in said vessel, a row of a plurality of constant flow discharge valves from said vessel each operable to discharge material for container filling or for return to a reservoir, an actuator for operating each of said valves to cause it to make container filling discharge, a continuously rotating cam effective on each actuator in timed relation to the continuous movement of containers below the discharge valves, and a container operated sensor adjacent each discharge valve and effective to prevent an actuator operating its discharge valve to cause filling discharge in the absence of a container below it.

United States Patent Osborne 1 1 Sept. 9, 1975 AND 1785.706 3/1957 Ryan61 81 .1 141/131 FILLING FLOWABLE MATERIAL INTO 3,065,775 11/1962 Kevesi. 141/131 3,457,968 7/1969 Tuma .4 141/102 OPEN TOP CONTAINERS PrimaryExaminer-Houston S. Bell, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Fz'rmWilliam AnthonyDrucker [57 ABSTRACT Apparatus for charging accurate amount of liquid orpowder into open top containers moving continuously in a straight linecomprising an elongated supply vessel means for maintaining a constantlevel of filling material in said vessel, a row of a plurality ofconstant flow discharge valves from said vessel each operable todischarge material for container filling or for return to a reservoir,an actuator for operating each of said valves to cause it to makecontainer filling discharge, a continuously rotating cam effective oneach actuator in timed relation to the continuous movement of containers below the discharge valves, and a container operated sensoradjacent each discharge valve and effective to prevent an actuatoroperating its discharge valve to cause filling discharge in the absenceof a container below it.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUSEP 9197s 3,903,938

sum 1 [1F 3 Qm nnu PATENTED 91975 3.903.938

sum 2 0F 3 PATENTED P 1975 SHEET 3 BF 3 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORFILLING FLOWABLE MATERIAL INTO OPEN TOP CONTAINERS BACKGROUND TO THEINVENTION In apparatus for filling open top containers it is usual forthe container to be stationary during the filling operation, andattempts have been made to move the containers as quickly as possiblebetween filling stations to obtain high operating speeds. To avoid thedisadvantages of such apparatus it has been proposed to provide in-linefiller apparatus in which the containers move continuously and arefilled progressively by a plurality of deliveries having ports whichopen sequentially as a container passes thereunder, but such apparatusis complex and gives rise to difficulties particularly when hot materialis to be changed into containers.

An especial difficulty with previously proposed inline fillers, inaddition to the disadvantage of having parts movable in a supplyreservoir, is under and over filling of the containers due to unevennessin the rate of discharge through the various deliveries, bothindividually and collectively, which cannot be cured by adjustment ofthe rate of flow through each of the deliveries as it has been observedthat the variation in discharge rate occurs due to changes in pressureof the material supply and the effect of turbulence therein due to portopening and closing.

It is also necessary to ensure that a delivery will not discharge duringthe time a container is not below it to avoid waste of material apartfrom mess and other disadvantages.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for filling flowablematerial such as liquids or powders into open top containers such asjars and cans as they move continuously in a straight line.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method of andapparatus for container in-line filling with the advantage that thecontainers to be filled are continuously moving and in which itsdeliveries are individually closed when there is no container therebelowwithout affecting the flow rate through the other deliveries.

A further object of the present invention is to provide containerfilling apparatus in which a constantly maintained head of fillingmaterial is supplied at a constant total discharge rate to progressivelyfill continuously moving containers through a plurality of downwardlydirected discharges, opened in timed relation to the movement of thecontainers, by opening a by-pass discharge with the closing of eachfilling discharge, such that there is filling discharge during the timea container is below it and flow to the feed back at other times soachieving a constant flow rate, provision also being made for preventingeach discharge valve giving a filling discharge when there is nocontainer therebelow to cater for any gap in the sequence of containers,so that there is no waste of material nor spillage due to over-fillingof containers by correct selection of the flow rate during fillingdischarge.

Another object of the invention is to provide container fillingapparatus comprising an elongated supply vessel to which fillingmaterial is continuously fed, means for maintaining a constant level offilling material in said vessel by returning surplus material to areservoir, a row of a plurality of constant flow discharge valves fromsaid vessel each operable to discharge material for container filling orfor return to the reservoir to maintain a constant total discharge ratethrough the apparatus, an actuator for operating each of said valves tocause it to make container filling discharge, a continuously rotatingcam effective on each actuator in timed relation to the continuousmovement of containers below the discharge valves, and a containeroperated sensor adjacent each discharge valve and effective to preventan actuator operating its discharge valve to cause filling discharge inthe absence of a container below it.

A still further object is to provide such apparatus with additionalmeans for moving all the actuators together to close their associateddischarge valve should the supply of containers or their continuousmovement cease for any reason.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such apparatus inwhich each discharge valve comprises a chamber with a constantly openinlet port and two outlet ports one for container filling by downwarddischarge and the other feeding to a feed back conduit, the outlet portsbeing progressively and alternately openable by a slidable element movedby an operating rod extending through the chamber walls through liquidseals, and moved in one direction by a cam operated actuator and in theopposite direction by a spring.

The foregoing and further objects of the invention will be apparent fromthe description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatus withpart broken away to show internal mechanism,

FIG. 2 is an end elevation being a view on the lefthand side of FIG. I,and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale to show adischarge valve and its operating mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION An elongatedfilling vessel or gravity feed tank I is continuously fed with fillingmaterial through a supply pipe 2 to maintain a constant head of fillingmaterial therein by a trough 3 with a discharge duct 4 leading back to areservoir 31, such trough receiving material above the desired level.

The supply tank 1 is provided at its bottom with a row of apertures 5each opening into a valve chamber 6 which is desirably made of stainlesssteel and has two outlets, one outlet 7 forming a downwardly directeddischarge for filling material into a container 8 situated therebelowand the other outlet 9 opening to a return conduit 10 leading back tothe reservoir 31. The outlets 7 and 9 are alternately and progressivelyopened and closed by a slidable valve member 11 having a flat workingface, which may be coated with P.T.F.E, moving on a flat surface of thevalve chamber in which the outlets 7 and 9 are formed. The valve member11 is moved to and fro by push-rod 12, which extends through the valvechamber walls and through liquidtight seals as may be necessary, and isurged by a spring 12 in the direction to move the valve member 11 forfilling to discharge through the port '7. The member I] is urged intocontact with the surface of the valve chamber by the pressure of thematerial acting on it and is not affected by wear of its working face,nor by expansion and contraction due to change in the temperature of thematerial.

Each push-rod 12 is moved against its loading spring 12 by an actuator14 shown as a rockable bell-crank lever with one limb thereof carrying aroller forming a cam follower which normally engages a contour cam 16which rotates in timed relation to the container continuously movingmeans such as two worm conveyors 13, 13' dr ven in timed relation withthe cam 16 by a motor M. The longer limb of the actuator 14 may directlyenuage the end of a push-rod 12 to move the same on being rocked butpreferably, and as illustrated, carries an adjustment screw 17 to engagethe push-rod end. When the actuator 14 is rocked (clockwise as seen inFIG. 3) it moves the push-rod 12 to cause the valve 11 to close port 7and open the port 9. The strength of the spring 12 not only maintainsthe end of the pushrod 12 in contact with the screw 17 but also bias theactuator 14 to maintain its roller 15 in contact with the cam 16 formovement thereby, unless such actuator is rocked by the action of eitherof the jacks 22, 26, which are hereafter described.

It will be appreciated that the valve arrangement above described issuch that there is a constant rate flow of filling material through thevalve chamber and that as the valve member 11 is moved to close theoutlet port 7, as when there is no container therebelow, the other port9 is correspondingly and progressively opened so maintaining the flowrate through the valve chamber. To vary the flow through the outlet poft7, the adjustment screw 17 is operated so that the valve member 11 opensthe port a required amount up to fully open; the constant flow ratebeing maintained in that while there is less than full flow through theport 7 there is also partial flow through the port 9.

In order to prevent opening of a filling discharge when there is nocontainer below the valve chamber 6, a sensor is provided which is shownas slidable member 18 urged towards a container edge by a spring 19 andby its movement controlling the actuator 10 of a pneumatic valve 21.When there is no container 8 moving along below a valve chamber 6, themovement of the member 18 under the action of its spring 19 causes it tooperate the pneumatic valve 21 which controls an air cylinder jack 22,the extension of the piston rod 23 of which effects rocking of itsassociated actuator 14 to cause the valve member 11 to close the port 7.Such jack 22 may be carried by a frame member 24 through which alsoextends an adjustment screw 25 for limiting movement of its actuator 14and bears on the end of the adjustable screw 17.

A further air cylinder jack 26 may be provided and arranged for itspiston rod 27 to act either directly or through a bell-crank lever 28 ona bar 29 lengthwise of the apparatus and effective on all the actuators14 to rock the same to cause closure of the valve filling dis charges,and such jack 26 is made operative as by a second container sensor (notshown) to extend its piston rod 27 should the supply of containers 8cease or stop moving and when it is desired to stop container filling bya manual control (not shown).

Initial supply of filling material may be through a conduit 30 to thereservoir 31 from which material is drawn through a conduit 32 by a pump33 discharging to the supply pipe 2 to the tank 1. The overflowdischarge duct 4 leads back into the reservoir 31 as does also thereturn conduit 10.

In use of the apparatus the material to be filled into the open topcontainers is continuously fed to the supply tank and material in excessof a predetermined level enters the trough and returns to the reservoir.The discharge valves at the bottom of the tank are operated such that asa container passes along below the row of discharge valves it receivesfrom each of them an amount of material until at the end of its travelit is filled to a desired extent. Each discharge valve may discharge alike amount of material, although those first passed-under may dischargea larger amount than those latterly passed to ensure filling with aminimum of splash. The NO CONTAINER NO DlSCl-[ARGE oper ation avoidswaste of material and the effective operation of the apparatus is notaffected by operation with material at different temperatures.

1 claim:

1. The method of filling material into open top containers movingcontinuously in a straight line which consists in maintaining a constanthead of filling material in a supply tank and feeding said material at aconstant total discharge rate to progressively fill said continuouslymoving containers through a plurality of downwardly directed dischargesfrom said tank, opening said discharges in timed relation to themovement of said containers with progressive alternate closing of aby-pass discharge with the opening of each filling discharge to achievea constant flow rate, and preventing each discharge valve giving afilling discharge when there is no container therebelow.

2. Apparatus for in line filling material into continuously movingcontainers including:

a supply tank,

a material supply for continuously supplying material to said supplytank,

means for maintaining a constant level of material in said supply tank,

a row of a plurality of constant flow discharge valves in the bottom ofsaid tank for discharging material from said tank to said containers,

a displaceable valve member within each valve,

an actuator for displacing each valve menber to terminate the dischargeof material through the valve for container filling and allow dischargeof material through the valves for return to said material supply, and

means for actuating said actuator in timed relationship with said movingcontainers to permit discharge of material from each valve for containerfilling only when a container is correctly aligned with respect to thevalve to receive the discharge of meterial therefrom.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which each discharge valvecomprises a chamber with a continuously open inlet port and twodownwardly directed outlet ports, one of said outlet ports dischargingfor container filling and the other feeding to a return conduit to areservoir, a valve member for progressively alternately opening saidoutlet ports, an operating rod for displacing said valve member, springmeans for moving said operating rod in one direction, said actuatormoving said operating rod in the opposite direction to close said outletport to said return conduit and a continuously rotating cam effective oneach actuator in timed relation to the continuous movement of containersbelow the discharge valves, and a container operated sensor adjacenteach discharge valve and effective to justment vary extent of opening ofsaid outlet port for container filling.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including additional means for movingall said actuators against the loading of said spring effective on saidoperating rod, and a sensor effective when there is no container movement to actuate said additional means.

1. The method of filling material into open top containers movingcontinuously in a straight line which consists in maintaining a constanthead of filling material in a supply tank and feeding said material at aconstant total discharge rate to progressively fill said continuouslymoving containers through a plurality of downwardly directed dischargesfrom said tank, opening said discharges in timed relation to themovement of said containers with progressive alternate closing of aby-pass discharge with the opening of each filling discharge to achievea constant flow rate, and preventing each discharge valve giving afilling discharge when there is no container therebelow.
 2. Apparatusfor in line filling material into continuously moving containersincluding: a supply tank, a material supply for continuously supplyingmaterial to said supply tank, means for maintaining a constant level ofmaterial in said supply tank, a row of a plurality of constant flowdischarge valves in the bottom of said tank for discharging materialfrom said tank to said containers, a displaceable valve member withineach valve, an actuator for displacing each valve menber to terminatethe discharge of material through the valve for container filling andallow discharge of material through the valves for return to saidmaterial supply, and means for actuating said actuator in timedrelationship with said moving containers to permit discharge of materialfrom each valve for container filling only when a container is correctlyaligned with respect to the valve to receive the discharge of meterialtherefrom.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which each dischargevalve comprises a chamber with a continuously open inlet port and twodownwardly directed outlet ports, one of said outlet ports dischargingfor container filling and the other feeding to a return conduit to areservoir, a valve member for progressively alternately opening saidoutlet ports, an operating rod for displacing said valve member, springmeans for moving said operating rod in one direction, said actuatormoving said operating rod in the opposite direction to close said outletport to said return conduit and a continuously rotating cam effective oneach actuator in timed relation to the continuous movement of containersbelow the discharge valves, and a container operated sensor adjacenteach discharge valve and effective to prevent an actuator operating itsdischarge valve to cause filling discharge in the absence of a containerbelow it.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which each actuatorcomprises a bell-crank lever having first and second limbs, said firstlimb carrying a roller normally engaging said cam, said second limbhaving a lockable adjusting screw to engage said operating rod and byits adjustment vary extent of opening of said outlet port for containerfilling.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including additional meansfor moving all said actuators against the loading of said springeffective on said operating rod, and a sensor effective when there is nocontainer movement to actuate said additional means.